Life and Travel in China

Some time ago, with great sadness, I attended the funeral of a 5-year-old Chinese boy. It was hard to hold back the tears and I couldn't even comfort his parents in any way. I was surprised when this little boy's father took a 'selfie' with his dead son. Is this a sign of our times? Or maybe by sharing such a dramatic photo, the father will share his sadness, complain, arouse greater pity, and gain understanding? Maybe it's just about saving the last photo on your phone, capturing the last moment, always having the last portrait with you? I know that people often don't have time for their children. Now I wonder how much this father must regret all the days away from home, how much he regrets all the refusals towards his son because he was busy with business, phone calls, was too tired or simply didn't feel like playing with the child. I know now that they simply lost the greatest moments forever. Now no 'selfie' can replace life, happiness and family. Therefore, it is worth considering how we spend our time and how we deal with children.

I regret to admit that Chinese propaganda works very effectively. Recently, while talking to people from a village in Hunan province, we heard that things are very good in China now, and the authorities are fighting all fraudsters and bribe-takers and purifying their ranks. People even said that there are no ordinary street pickpockets or thieves now. Average Chinese people trust the country's main leaders, and in their opinion, President Xi Jinping is very effective in fighting deals and corruption. In fact, the new president contributed to revealing several major scandals, but maybe he only got rid of inconvenient people from the party? It has long been known that every government (this probably applies to the whole world, not only China) is involved in something and operates in some system, taking care of its own interests, of a specific group. In my opinion, a few party members were simply thrown to the lions, i.e. Chinese society. The Chinese will be satisfied, and the 'power group' as a whole will be relatively safe until the next 'Olympics'.

In Chinese cities, more and more people are developing their hobbies and interests. There used to be no funds for this, now the Chinese buy, for example, decent mountain bikes, cyclists, roller skates, skateboards, musical instruments, cameras and HD cameras, costumes for classical dances, etc. There are also more sophisticated interests, such as yachts or sports cars such as Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini. There are also more and more tuned cars, such as BMW, Audi, Toyota and Honda. Sometimes the budget for such pleasures and entertainment is simply unlimited. The development of the Internet is a decisive motivation for all these sports and interests. It's true that Facebook is still blocked, but there are thousands of other websites where you can show off your skills, your talent, and sometimes your stupidity. There are even some very popular websites where you can showcase your singing skills. Some people have invested a lot in this hobby: good computers, microphones, IP cameras, sound systems and professional lighting like in a TV studio. The Chinese caught up very quickly when they were cut off from the whole world and now keep up with all the news. Of course, with varying results, sometimes it is harmful, sometimes it is simply 'aping' the West. I think they should develop their own interests more, such as playing traditional Chinese instruments, Chinese chess, kung-fu, tai-ji, calligraphy, table tennis and badminton.

Today I talked to a Chinese supplier, he runs his own trading company. I told him that China was becoming more and more expensive. He confirmed that much of the world's production is being moved to India and other smaller East Asian countries, where workers' salaries are between $200 and $300 a month. In China right now, workers' salaries are usually around $500 or more. I told him not to laugh, but in Poland the salaries are similar to those in China. In fact, China is already surpassing us in many industries. While workers' work is still cheaper or similar, people in offices, services and tourism earn more than in Poland, and they often receive commissions and various types of bonuses for the effects of work. I know Chinese people whose boss rewarded them with a large subsidy for an apartment or a car. If a company/factory is prosperous and the owner appreciates employees who take excellent care of Western contractors, then he appreciates them in various ways. In Poland we can dream about this. I have the impression that Poland is a country of greater exploitation than China. China is developing, and ordinary citizens simply have more and more demands when it comes to wages. In Poland, many people have no requirements and are happy to have a job at all. Who do we owe this to?

There was no pension system in China, but special funds were established. This meant that, for example, in 2007 you had to pay approximately PLN 1,500. Of course, children and grandchildren working in the city were helpful here. After just a year, the elderly person received a monthly pension of approximately PLN 250. It seems like ridiculous money, but life in the countryside is cheap, and people still earn money by selling vegetables, farming, and breeding animals. After two years, these pensions increased twice, i.e. PLN 500 per month. Of course, there has been great exploitation of people in China for years, but isn't our Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) a similar exploitation? Can we have such a system where, for example, 5 years before retirement, I pay up to PLN 10,000 at a time (before that, I do not pay anything to ZUS) and I have a guaranteed pension of PLN 1,000 per month? Analogous to Chinese funds. As you can see, the Middle Kingdom has overtaken us in many issues, including pensions. Here, people pay tribute all their lives, are exploited and at the end they fight for some petty pensions. In China, the authorities are trying to provide people with a dignified old age as compensation.